"Dexter" Ready to Get All Emotional

Published at 8:20 AM EDT on Jun 17, 2010 | Updated at 2:47 PM EDT on May 30, 2012

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Emotions can be a killer job performance issue when you're a serial murderer, and Dexter better find a new hobby if this keeps up.

The creators of "Showtime" have announced that Michael C. Hall's serial killer personality will have trouble dealing with the murder of her his wife, Rita (Julie Benz) next season.

At the end of season four Rita was murdered, putting an end to Dexter's seeming sham of a domestic life. But maybe it was a little deeper than even he gave it credit for. Rita's death will trigger new feelings in Dexter prompted by Julia Benz's brief return to the show (no small feat considering she's dead).

"Benz will make a brief appearance in the first episode," a release from Showtime states. "As Dexter grapples with the reality of the death of his wife, her presence will help him deal with his feelings of loss and grief – emotions he’s never felt before."

Hey, a character has to grow. Even Spock had his wild moments. But then again, Spock wasn't covering rooms in plastic so that he could cleanly and methodically kill people.

This transformation will no doubt be handled with the usual deft touch by the award-winning Hall.

Dexter will also get some help with the domestic duties on the show caused by his wife's death. "The Commitments" star Maria Doyle Kennedy has been signed on to play an Irish nanny hired to care for Dexter’s son Harrison. With a little luck, she'll keep her nose out of his personal affairs and thus intact.

He might get emotional every now and again, but he's still a killer after all.